New-York tribune., 1887-04-24
THE LITTLE DOCTOR
GIRLS EXPERIENCE AMONG THE POOR.

II would not do to tell all the experiences gid has
to pass through before she has earned diploms IN
medicine. They would all . book. and good book.
too, but their publication might deter some aspiring
but o'ertimid sister trom entering upon task that
requires such an abundant capital Of forutude sno
endurance. After reading suoh record OF fnc'denss
often inexpres sbly sad, often very trying ana some
very terrible, she might say to herself Weu
this IL learning to be Q doctor, fear am NOS ouhs
for the business" am very sure that had known
what was In store for me when came to New-iork
three years ago, my courage would nave ooSea ou@
Now that the goal has been reached however, IL Gu
tertaning to call up the record Some OF the noident
that then seemed 90 hard and annoying now appear
amusing. Our hospital being mainly supported oy
private munifcence. the cases that come 70 sVo
morally those of very poor people. We students are
attend them pending the arrival OF regular
physicans One of the great difficulties encounter
Is to persuade my patients " trust mo- BENG neie'
aud young, they look over and then ask incredu-
lously;
BE you the doctori"
aYes," reply, with great dignity, extending my
vefeet -a-half figure to Its utmost capacity
q What is tho matter ~
any child 10 sok, miss but, II you please, mhs,
you look 80 youngW
Being only twenty-five, feel tho foroe of this re-
mark, but reply, Never mind that am sent to see
your ehur. guess oan attend to her," never
have been absolutely rejected and am very successa
In treating this GLASS of patients. Their maisay
usually munger Anu ulLn ny pEoootiReaSN - ~,--
q bath. Their recovery Is almost instantaneous and
listen proudly while the happy mother says, = An
miss you are q splendid doctor You must know
great DEAL and 50 young tool I'll always SEND ior
you when am siok." This isn't very substantial
tee, but 1t Is encouraging.
Talking about rees shall never forget tho first
received. Tho great majority Of our cases are OF
COURSE obstetricsl In their nature, and most OF Us
aim to become specially qualified to attend maternity
cases. and indeed, all diseases peculiar to our sex
l was sent cold winter morning TO see woman
living In the cellar of o wretched tenementhouse In
Thirty st. near Ninth-ave practitioner had
tho case In charge. but she lived In Jersey City.
was expected to get there early and attend to the
woman until the doctor came Tho place was horrid-
1t smellod so foul that was nearly sickened. The
only light supplied BY small grate-covored win
dow just above tho street pavement The cellar had
no other floor than the cold earth, upon which, with
only thin filthy mattress under her lay. my patient
She had her clothes, such "a they were all on, and
In great pain There was no fire and the temper
nture must have been below freezing point couple
Of thin pnched, dirty children lay the floor, and
doubled MP In corner was the womsns husband-dead
drunk
What q soene In tho heart Of great cityi 1t was
Sunday morning. The church bells were ringing and
could hear the footsteps OF people hurrying to early
mass. Little they knew of the misery, pain and sin
which they trod so swiftly, and little, lear.
would they have cared had they knIwn
telt Just like breaking that drunken brutes head
with the stove poker and was only deferred from AT
tempting by the reflection that he weighed at least
200 and but l06 l oontented myself BY poking
him with 1t.
Awake upi wake upp cried q Wake up, you
wretchp
The creature ony grunted.
poked him industriously till he was reused and
Dado him go get IN some brandy. The word" brandy
did more to waken him than all my ppking. He
started on, and l set to work making fire. never
had made a fire before. That ekiSency Is not con-
tomplated by the course of instruction either st
Vassar, where I went to college, or at the medical
school, out after several efforts, the fire was finally
started and some water heated. few minutes later
that our of q husband oane in with a third OF the
brandy had given him the money to buy still In the
bottle. thought myself lucky to get even so much
OF course, during all this time had done what
could 10 relieve tho poor woman. whose suffering was
intense began to grow alarmed whom saw that
unless the physician oamo pretty the chd would
anticipate her. 1t became evident that the re-
sponsibty OF that birth to rest upon inc aud, at
last when the poor little thing arrived In good oon-
dition and voice. Q weight rolled of my shoulders.
did the whole thing and when L got home felt
quito proud snd grorn-up.
But that afternoon my body began to itch dread
fully. though 1t must be the bives The sensation
was eIaspera,ing and at night whom went to bed
found my first fee two great big deasi
They reminded mo of the summer spent In Swtzer-
land. They have villanous aeas In Switzerland, and
they know an American at sight Their torture was
so great that my sweed twice their proper size,
and split the sleeves OF the Jersey wore. noticed
that those feas wholly neglected and abandoned
pretty Spaniards, plump Germans and glorious
Italians TO prey on a comparatively homelJ American
1 asked my maid at Zurich how that She said
10 hea he vera partcuaire. 70 lady Americana SO
clean. Wiz 10 people PAmerique all ees wash, wash
Icy so clean 20 fea like zem better"
One hears q good deal about how girls who attempt
enter any OF the professions necessarily lose much
of their soituess, delicaoy, snd daintiness,
and OF how the, are continually subjected to
annoy ng and rude attentions that amount insults
Questions Dearng upon those subjects have been
oton asked me. They constituted the most formidable
objections o1ercd by my father to my studying medi-
oine There is 40 iorce In thcm at all. IL woman s
common, education cannot make her more so. ltA
tendency Is all the other way. IL she is naturally
refined her f.co aud manner are all the protection
she needs In this gallant and woll-policed country
There Ia GLASS OF people, however, who ought to be
suppressed. IL Is tho class who look upon girl who
studies law, art or medicine as curiosity. They
really tcel that they have right to a,k her all about
herself as they would put queotous to freak In
dino museums. They are harmless but exceedingly
annoying Gentle manners shield against
them.
Once when on the train for Philadelphia homeward
bound Tor vacation. was reading medical book
titled phthsis tuberculosis Pulmonalis" which was
printed in rather conspicuous letters on Its back
Just alter we lett Trenton heard o voice ask,
Pardon me, Miss, but may inquire II you o
medical student n
looked up and saw a bloodle,s looking youth. with
a shook OF blonde hair and delicate mustaohe that
needed tertiliEing. am physician, SIR" said,
and turned again to my book He did not know
enough to 60 away.
40, now, are your he asked. $50 Is my sister.
She studied medicine In preference to goi4g into
convent. She has had hard life OF IT, miss. She Is
only tweutyfour years old, has been married twice,
has had four children. and has lost them all IN six
yoarsi Poor girl That's pretty rough amt II
had all could do to keep from laughing outright,
and yet his voice very sympathetic.
She studied medicine because she felt that she
must divert her mind" he went II he hadn't
been thus explicit should have supposed she went
into tho profession In order to be able to dosl per-
IN I'LL L L